Journalist
Lee Hugh
=
-
Hanwha Foundation to Open Michael Joo Solo Show at Space Zero One in New York Hanwha Foundation said Tuesday it will present a solo exhibition by Korean American artist Michael Joo at its New York exhibition space, Space Zero One, from Feb. 20 to April 18. Titled “Sweat Models 1991-2026,” the show is Space Zero One’s first exhibition of 2026, the foundation said. Space Zero One opened in November in Tribeca as a global arts support platform built around a mission of discovering and supporting emerging artists. The foundation said it aims to help artists sustain and expand their work internationally and to build a long-term ecosystem that incubates contemporary Korean art on the world stage. The foundation said selecting Joo for the year’s first show is intended to broaden Space Zero One’s mission through experimentation and exchange across generations. Joo, a second-generation Korean American born in New York, has worked for more than 30 years across sculpture, installation and video, exploring where material and systems, and the body and information, intersect. A Korean diaspora artist, he drew international attention after participating in the Venice Biennale in 2001. After Joo’s exhibition, Space Zero One will continue its program in May with a show by a next-generation midcareer artist approaching a new turning point, the foundation said. “Space Zero One is a place that supports emerging artists as they start from a local context and expand to the global stage,” said Lim Geun Hye, the foundation’s exhibition director. “We will continue to broaden that mission through exhibitions and exchanges that cross generations and regions.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 11:27:00 -
Samsung Heavy Wins $351 Million Order for Two Container Ships Samsung Heavy Industries said in a regulatory filing Tuesday that it has won an order worth 468.6 billion won (US$351 million) from an Africa-based shipping company to build two container ships. The vessels are scheduled to be delivered in stages by May 2028. With the deal, Samsung Heavy said its year-to-date orders total seven ships worth $1.2 billion, meeting 9% of its annual target of $13.9 billion. By type, the orders include two liquefied natural gas carriers, two ethane carriers, two container ships and one crude oil tanker. A company official said replacement demand is expected to remain steady for 8,000- to 13,000-TEU container ships, where aging vessels make up a large share. The official said Samsung Heavy will focus on profitability-driven orders backed by its eco-friendly technology competitiveness.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 11:19:04 -
Disney-Pixar’s ‘Hoppers’ to Open in Dolby Cinema After 4DX Release The film “Hoppers” has confirmed a Dolby Cinema release following its 4DX version, boosting anticipation among fans. “Hoppers” is a Pixar animated animal-adventure film built around “hopping” technology that transfers a human mind into an animal robot. The story follows a girl named Mabel, who becomes a robot beaver and infiltrates a vivid animal world, setting off on an unexpected adventure. With the Dolby Cinema release confirmed, the film also unveiled a Dolby Cinema poster. It shows Mabel connected to a hopping machine at the moment her transformation into a robot beaver is completed. Her bewildered expression suggests she can hardly believe what has happened, before she adapts to the animal world and is set to make an impact there. Dolby Cinema is expected to offer a different kind of immersion than 4DX, drawing audiences deeper into the adventure Mabel leads. The format’s sharp picture and realistic sound are also expected to bring to life the authenticity — and even the tactile feel — of the natural settings emphasized by director Daniel Chong, pointing to a theater-only cinematic experience. The film is directed by Chong, the creator of the globally popular series “We Bare Bears,” who also worked as a storyboard artist on “Cars 2” and “Penguins of Madagascar.” Newcomer Piper Curda voices Mabel. The cast also includes Bobby Moynihan, who appeared in “Inside Out 2” and “IF: Imaginary Friends,” and Jon Hamm, known in South Korea for “Top Gun: Maverick” and a Golden Globe win for best actor in a TV drama at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards for “Mad Men.” Three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, who has recently been announced for “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” joins the voice cast. The film opens March 4. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 11:18:44 -
HJ Shipbuilding wins $260 million order for two container ships SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - South Korea's HJ Shipbuilding has secured a 353.2 billion won ($260 million) contract from a European shipowner to build two eco-friendly container ships with a capacity of 10,100 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). The order marks the first time the company will construct container ships exceeding 10,000 TEU at its main Yeongdo shipyard in Busan. The vessels will incorporate a newly developed hull form and fuel-efficient design aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the company said. To comply with international environmental standards, the ships will be equipped with exhaust gas cleaning systems, or scrubbers, and optimized for energy-efficient operations. In recent years, the shipbuilder has focused on developing mid-sized, environmentally friendly container vessels to secure new orders and strengthen competitiveness in the sector. Vessels delivered since the company resumed merchant ship construction in 2021 — starting with a 5,500-TEU order and including HMM’s 9,000-TEU methanol-powered ships — were designed to fit within Yeongdo’s dock limits. Chief Executive Yoo Sang-cheol said in a press release that the company’s experience and technical expertise in overcoming physical constraints enabled it to move into the 10,000-TEU-plus segment. “We will deliver high-quality ships on schedule to repay the shipowner’s trust and further strengthen our reputation in the mid- to large-sized eco-friendly container ship market,” Yoo said. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-02-11 11:02:40 -
Lunar New Year exodus expected to peak next Tuesday SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Holiday traffic is expected to peak on Lunar New Year's Day, which falls next Tuesday, according to SK Telecom's navigation app TMAP. With the country's biggest holiday of the year coming in the latter part of the weeklong break, the annual mass exodus of people heading to their ancestral hometowns is expected to spread out, while their return trips will be concentrated early next week, making Feb. 17 the most likely day for heavy congestion. The next busiest day would be Friday, as some people may travel early to avoid heavy traffic and spend the later part of the break at home. The average driving time from Seoul is estimated at six hours and two minutes to Busan, four hours and 40 minutes to Gwangju, three hours and 40 minutes to Daejeon, and three hours and 34 minutes to Gangneung, about an hour longer than usual overall. Their trip back to Seoul next Tuesday is expected to take over seven hours from Busan, more than five hours from Gwangju, and about three hours and 30 minutes from Daejeon. But traffic is expected to remain at normal levels during late-night and early-morning hours. The app will also offer additional travel information including toll fees and parking availability. 2026-02-11 10:51:21 -
BTS Comeback D-38: "Royalty" built by a different kind of fan army SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - BTS’s global influence owes much to ARMY, a fan community that has shaped its identity around promoting dignity, civility, and mutual respect — and translating those values into coordinated digital action. From the beginning, ARMY’s devotion centered on music and performance. Over time, however, it evolved into something more durable: a digitally organized, transnational community capable of mobilizing across languages, platforms, and borders. What began as fandom has, in many cases, matured into a form of civic-minded participation. Since around 2017, as BTS expanded its global tours and sharpened its social messaging, informal networks of translators, regional coordinators, and content curators emerged. These structures were not centrally designed. They formed organically, shaped by shared norms and collective purpose. By the early 2020s, scholars and international media were no longer viewing ARMY merely as a cultural phenomenon. It was increasingly analyzed as a functioning digital ecosystem. When Hashtags Became a Public Square That transformation became visible in 2020, amid racial justice protests in the United States. K-pop fans, including BTS supporters, flooded extremist and anti-protest hashtags with fan content, effectively pushing hateful material out of public view. The tactic, known as “hashtag hijacking,” was analyzed by Australia’s Lowy Institute and reported by Al Jazeera as a form of decentralized digital activism. Participation was voluntary and informal. Yet the response was swift, coordinated, and sustained. It reflected years of accumulated experience in navigating online platforms, managing information flows, and maintaining internal discipline. In moments of social tension, ARMY demonstrated an ability to act collectively without centralized command — a hallmark of mature digital communities. A Network Mapped by Research Academic research has since documented how that coordination works. A 2024 peer-reviewed study published in Telematics and Informatics examined ARMY’s Twitter ecosystem and found a distributed structure organized around core information hubs, translation accounts, and amplification nodes. “The BTS ARMY network is sustained by a systematic structure of key players who voluntarily play distinct roles within the network, represented as subsystems of the VSM framework.” the authors note, highlighting how different accounts contribute to coordination and diffusion. The VSM (Viable System Model) refers to a framework used to describe how organizations sustain themselves through differentiated yet interconnected roles. In practice, this structure is reflected in how information flows across the network. Rather than functioning as a loose collection of fans, the network operates through layered channels that enable rapid cross-border communication. Messages originating in Seoul can be translated, contextualized, and circulated worldwide within minutes. The researchers described the system as decentralized, resilient, and highly adaptive — qualities more commonly associated with professional organizations than fan communities. 25 Hours, $1 Million The network’s fundraising capacity became globally visible in June 2020. After BTS donated $1 million to Black Lives Matter, fans launched the #MatchAMillion campaign and raised a matching sum in roughly 25 hours. The effort mobilized tens of thousands of participants across multiple continents. The campaign was supported by One In An ARMY, a fan-led nonprofit group founded in 2018 that coordinates charitable projects in partnership with established organizations. “If not 24 hours than 100M in 25 hours. We did it for #MatchAMillion. We can do it for #BTS_Dynamite,” an international fan wrote on X in August 2020, referring to ARMY’s earlier #MatchAMillion campaign and encouraging other fans to work together to reach streaming goals. Media outlets including Reuters and VICE cited the group’s systematic approach to fan-driven philanthropy. The episode underscored that ARMY’s capacity for mobilization was not spontaneous. It reflected a culture of preparation, transparency, and accountability that had been built over years. From Global Campaigns to Local Communities ARMY’s engagement has also taken root at the community level. In 2022, a fan collective known as Adorable Wave (A-Wave) partnered with South Korea’s Happy Alliance to support children facing food insecurity. The initiative coincided with BTS’s ninth debut anniversary and was funded entirely through voluntary contributions. According to organizers, the project was designed as an ongoing program rather than a symbolic gesture. It demonstrated how digital coordination could translate into sustained offline support. “The emergency fundraising campaign for flood victims conducted by Hope Bridge and Adorable Wave has ended. The total amount raised, 920,800 won, was delivered to Hope Bridge on August 10,” according to Adorable Wave’s official Instagram post, with the donation certificate listing “BTS ARMY + Adorable Wave” as donors. Similar initiatives have since appeared in multiple countries, tailored to local social needs while remaining connected to the broader global network. Aligning with Institutions This evolution has been reinforced by BTS’s institutional partnerships. In 2017, the group launched the “LOVE MYSELF” campaign with UNICEF, promoting self-respect, mental well-being, and violence prevention among youth. The partnership was renewed in 2021. Fans amplified the initiative through donations, educational campaigns, and social media advocacy, aligning grassroots activity with an established international framework. “Choose respect. Choose support. Choose kindness. Proud to be an army.” An anonymous fan wrote under HYBE LABELS’ official video “BTS LOVE MYSELF Global Campaign.” Another non-Korean fan commented, “People have happy, sad and painful stories. We want to take those stories and make them into music.” On the official UNICEF YouTube channel, support extended beyond admiration to recognition of impact. “It's rare to find artists who genuinely care about their music's impact. BTS is that once in a lifetime group to push for change in a world that really needs it.” The comment drew more than 5,000 likes. One fan thanked BTS. "They save my life, their music heals me. Thank you UNICEF for share this important message with BTS.” The collaboration provided ARMY with both moral direction and practical channels for engagement, strengthening the link between fandom and public service. When Fandom Becomes Digital Power Taken together, these developments reveal a consistent pattern. ARMY functions as a decentralized system composed of curators, translators, organizers, and amplifiers. Information circulates through trusted nodes, reducing misinformation and maintaining internal coherence. Fandom may begin with emotional attachment. It endures through organization. Large-scale campaigns persist not because of constant enthusiasm, but because institutional memory has been established. Knowledge is passed on. Practices are refined. Standards are enforced informally but effectively. A BTS concert lasts only a few hours. ARMY’s collective efforts have stretched across nearly a decade — from the LOVE MYSELF campaign in 2017 to #MatchAMillion in 2020 and community outreach in subsequent years. What has emerged is not merely loyalty, but continuity. Today, ARMY stands as one of the most sophisticated fan ecosystems in global popular culture. It illustrates how digitally connected communities can coordinate, adapt, and sustain collective action without formal hierarchy. 2026-02-11 10:37:48 -
LeBron James to Miss All-NBA Eligibility After Falling Short of 65-Game Minimum LeBron James will not be eligible for All-NBA honors this season after falling short of the NBA’s minimum games requirement. The Los Angeles Lakers forward was left off the roster for a home game against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday (Korean time) because of pain from arthritis in his left ankle. The absence will be his 18th missed game of the season, meaning he cannot meet the league’s 65-game minimum for regular-season awards eligibility. The All-NBA teams recognize 15 players each season, with five players named to each of the first, second and third teams. James had been selected to an All-NBA team in 21 straight seasons through last season, excluding his 2003-04 rookie year, but injuries have kept him from qualifying this year. He also did not make the NBA All-Star Game starters list after being a starter for 21 consecutive years from 2005 through last year. In addition, his streak of scoring in double figures ended on Dec. 5, snapping a run that had lasted 18 years.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 10:18:00 -
Bamin founder Kim Bong-jin delivers commencement address at Kookmin University graduation SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Kookmin University held its Spring 2026 commencement ceremony on February 11, where Kim Bong-jin, the founder of the food delivery platform Bamin and current CEO of Grande Clip, delivered the congratulatory address to graduating students. Kim Bong-jin, an alumnus of the Kookmin University Graduate School of Design, is recognized as a pioneering entrepreneur who combined design sensibilities with business strategy. He founded Woowa Brothers in 2010 and launched Bamin, which transformed the South Korean delivery market. The platform has recorded 6.5 billion cumulative orders and 153 trillion won in total transaction value, becoming a primary service in daily South Korean life. University officials stated that Kim Bong-jin was selected as the speaker because of his track record in identifying market problems and executing solutions through rapid experimentation. The university also cited his ongoing commitment to social contribution and support for the cultural and design sectors as an exemplary model of entrepreneurship for the graduates. Kookmin University President Jeong Seung-ryeol said the address aligned with the school's 80th anniversary slogan, "Make the Rule, Break the Rule." He noted that the experiences of an alumnus who created new standards and opened new paths would provide graduates with a broader perspective as they enter society. During the ceremony, Kookmin University awarded degrees to 2,225 undergraduate students, 801 master's degree recipients, and 147 doctoral graduates. While the university focuses on internal development and alumni success, it continues to maintain strong ties with other major institutions and industrial partners in South Korea to bolster its design and engineering programs. The event concluded with the formal conferral of degrees to the graduating class of 2025. 2026-02-11 10:12:56 -
Boston Dynamics' Spot robot dog assists UK nuclear decommissioning work SEOUL, February 11 (AJP) - Four-legged robot Spot, developed by the Hyundai Motor Group affiliate Boston Dynamics, is being deployed in the United Kingdom to assist with nuclear facility decommissioning. Sellafield Ltd., a state-owned company operating under the U.K.’s Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, recently disclosed that it is using Spot at nuclear cleanup sites. Sellafield oversees the dismantling of nuclear facilities and the management of radioactive waste across the country. Many of its worksites restrict human access due to radiation hazards and complex internal layouts. To address these risks, the company introduced a robot-based inspection system, deploying Spot to conduct remote surveys and gather data in areas that are difficult or unsafe for workers to enter. According to Sellafield, the robot has been equipped with sensors tailored to nuclear environments and can navigate rough terrain and complex structures, including staircases. Spot captures 360-degree video and performs 3D scans to map site conditions, while operators monitor operations remotely through live video feeds. The robot is also used for radiation characterization, measuring gamma and alpha radiation to determine contamination levels. It has recently completed trial operations involving swab sampling inside facilities — tasks previously carried out directly by workers — significantly reducing personnel exposure to hazards, Sellafield said. The company added that Spot can operate on site for longer periods than human teams, helping accelerate overall decommissioning work. Reduced reliance on protective equipment has also cut waste volumes, while access to real-time data has improved decision-making and inspection consistency. Sellafield said deployment of the robot resulted from collaboration between Boston Dynamics and the U.K.’s Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration, enabling operations to expand from initial trials to routine use. Trial operations began in 2021, with successful testing in complex environments completed in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, Spot was deployed in high-radiation zones to collect inspection imagery and radiation data. In 2025, Sellafield conducted what it described as the U.K. nuclear sector’s first remote robot demonstration outside a licensed plant boundary, confirming the potential for fully remote operations that separate workers from hazardous sites. Sellafield said it plans to continue working with partners to expand Spot’s capabilities through additional sensor packages and deploy the robot more widely for radiation mapping and environmental surveys. * This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP. 2026-02-11 10:12:04 -
Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter to Step Down at End of Month Hyundai Motor Group robotics unit Boston Dynamics said CEO Robert Playter will step down at the end of this month after leading the company for seven years. According to the auto industry and foreign media reports on Tuesday, Playter told employees in an email sent the previous day that he will leave the CEO post on Feb. 27. Until the board appoints a successor, CFO Amanda McMaster will serve as interim CEO. Playter, an MIT graduate, joined Boston Dynamics in 1994 — the company’s third year — as vice president of engineering and helped lay the groundwork for its robotics business through 2012. He later served as Google’s director of robotics from 2013 to 2018, then returned to Boston Dynamics as CEO in 2019. Hyundai Motor Group acquired Boston Dynamics in 2020, a year after he took the top job. Playter is widely credited with shifting Boston Dynamics from a small research-focused organization into a commercial robotics company best known for Spot, its four-legged robot. The company also unveiled a model of its humanoid robot Atlas at CES 2026 last month as it prepares for commercialization, and said field training is underway. In his email to employees, Playter said he was proud of the company’s “remarkable achievements” over the past year, adding that it had re-established Atlas’ leadership in a fast-growing sector and strengthened strategic partnerships with Hyundai and Google DeepMind. He said the company has built a strong position and is ready for its next phase of growth, adding that a new CEO will bring the experience and energy needed for that next step.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 10:06:00